Receptacle



Jan. 30, 1951 M, WINEBRENNER 2,540,069

RECEPTACL E Filed June 26, 1946 IN VEN TOR. 520m Mmefim/zz/ PatentedJan. 30, 1951 2,540,069 RECEPTACLE Laura M. Winebrenner, Straughn, Ind.,assignor of one-half to Elton E. Magnuson, Ann Arbor,

Mich.

Application June 26, 1946, Serial No. 679,546

The present invention relates generally to receptacles and moreparticularly to a cup for holding hairpins, or other tonsorial piecesclose to a customer's head where they are available close to the handsof a coifieur or beauty operator administering to a persons hair.

In considering the wasted time and effort involved in handling a largenumber of small devices that are required for certain operations uponthe hair as performed by beauticians the need has long been felt toprovide a support for these devices where they will be close to theplace where they are applied. Hand cups, magnetized supports. chair cupsand extensions arms are being used but they either do not locate thedevices in a way to economize time and motion, or they are not universalin their application for all devices used. For instance, the magnetizedsupport carried on the wrist of an operator will support hairpins inadeof a ferrous metal but will not support cold wave applicators and othersimilar devices of non-ferrous elements. Exten- 2 Claims. (01. 224-)sion arm supports have to be pushed and pulled around and when placedinterfere with a movement of a customer who has to sit in one positionfor long periods of time or with the operator moving around thecustomer.

The present invention relates to a receptacle which is supported uponthe shoulder of a customer and which is so constructed and arranged thatit can be placed upon either the left or right shoulder with equalfacility. It is also adaptable to fit comfortably shoulders of differentthicknesses with a minimum danger of slipping oif of a shoulder once itis placed there.

The invention is further characterized by a construction in which theweight 'fdistribution is such that it automatically accommodatesshoulders of diiferent lengths and slopes.

The invention also contemplates supporting large objects equally well asa large number of small objects, such as hairpins or cold waveattachments, in a position readily accessible to the beautician. u

These being among the objects of the invention, other and furtherobjects will become apparent from thedrawing, the description thereofand the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device as it appears when placed ona persons shoulder ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view from another angle of the deviceillustrated in Fig. ,1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the device illustrated in Figs.1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a front or rearvview of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2depending upon which shoulder it is resting.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and

Fig. 6 is a section taken upon the lines 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Although the device embodying the invention may be made of moldedplastic or a ceramic, it is preferably made out of an elastomer such asrubber or neoprene, molded as a single unit in the form shown, whichcomprises an upper cup portion In elongated in the form of an oval in adirection parallel with the shoulder so that devices such as hairpinsand elongated cold wave applicators (not shown) are disposed crosswiseto the hands of the operator standing in back of the customer 9 so thatthey can be easily picked up by the fingers Without need for twistingthe wrist or moving the hand but a very short distance.

The bottom of the cup isflared outwardly into a base portion ll havingan arcuate lower face l2 adapted to follow the contour of the top of apersons shoulder 8. The axis of this arcuate contour is inclined to theupper plane Illa of the cup a matter of approximately 5 to 10, and theinner surface of the arcuately contoured portion is knurled or roughenedto cling to a throw apron I generally fastened around a customer's neck.

The thicker end ll of the base is the outer end, the one closest to theshoulder, whereas the thinner end I5 is the one nearest the neck of thecustomer, regardless of whether or not the device is placed upon theright or left shoulder. At its outer end I 4 the edges and particularlythe lower corners H5 01? the base are so constructed and arranged as tocurl slightly inward to provide supporting elements which make a moredirect contact with the throw apron and which engage in any folds in thethrow apron l to further assist in preventing the cup from slippingendwise ofi of the shoulder 8.

At the thinner end l5 depending flaps I! are provided which preferablyhave weights [8 embedded in their lower ends. These flaps aresubstantially flat and thin enough to rest against the front and back ofthe shoulder, yet not thin enough that the weights will cause the flapsto buckle edgewise, it being noted that the flaps are inclined to thevertical. They are attached to the inner and I5 of ts base and slopetowards the customer's arm. By attaching the flaps to the inner end isthe corners [6 can be fully formed, and with this construction theweights are so positioned with respect to the cup that the corners l6 onthe outside edge I4 carry the most weight. The weights cause the cup tobear most heavily at the corners regardless of the slope of a personisshoulder. I

In addition to the weighting action performed by the flaps to hold thecorners l6 snugly in place and the cup in erect position, the inherentresiliency in the flaps is such that they tend to clamp upon theshoulder. To assist them in this result, they are formed with a roughinside surface 20. This clamping action, however, is not suflicientlypronounced to be objectionable to the wearer, nor is it such that thereceptacle cannot be lifted readily from one shoulder and placed easilupon the other shoulder by one hand of the beautician.

Furthermore the inclination upon the flaps assists them in adaptingthemselves to the shoulder .so that their slight resilient clampingpressure provides aslightdrag on the .throwapron 1 against dislocation,without .same .being objectionable :to the wearer.

In certain embodiments it has been found that the :flaps H aresatisfactory when rigid, or with the weights omitted entirely, the onlydifference being that resilient flaps will .more readily adaptthemselves to .a wider rangeof shoulders and the weights provideadditional frictional drag assisting to hold the cup upright and inplace.

The construction thus provided is .one which tends at all times to keepthe cup level to retain the contents therein without danger or spilling,and supports the contents where they are readily available to thefingers of the operator.

.In those instances where the invention is to be usedonly to hold:certai-n particular articles, the shape of the cup may be modifiedaccordingly,

particularly if the devices are much larger than hairpins Or the like.

Having thus described the invention and certain embodiments andmodifications thereof it will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art that various and further changes can be made Without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is commensuratewith :the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A shoulder receptacle adapted to be supported on either shouldercomprising a base having an arcuate contour and being thicker at one endthan the other :to compensate for the slope ;of the shoulder, flapssecured to the base on opposite sides, said flaps being inclined to saidarcuate contour in the direction of the thicker of said ends andweighted at their lower ends, and means on the upper face of said basefor supporting hairpins or the like.

2. A shoulder receptacle adapted to be supported .on .either shouldercomprising a base having .an arcuate contour and being thicker atone.end than .the other to .compensate for the slope of the shoulder,,fiaps secured to the base on 0! posite sidesrand meanson the upper iaceof said base for supporting hairpins .or the .like.

LAURA M. WIN-EBRENNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED "STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 132,795 .Sommers .June 16,19.4.2

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date v 251.5116 Great Britain May 13,1926 342,504 Great Britain Feb. 5, 1931

